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Man overcharged $1.3K for breakfast, company refunds the money

Posted at 11:44 AM, May 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-07 19:54:30-04

WACO, TX — UPDATE: A Waco man has received a check from a local gas station after being overly charged.

This morning, Chuck Chavers received a check after he was charged $1,299.36 at the highway 6 CEFCO in Woodway last Wednesday when he purchased a monster energy drink and chicken biscuit.

Chavers is happy to receive the check despite not getting it at the gas station due to a system glitch.

"I'm happy about it. I wish it wouldn't have taken this long." (But to) "make sure you see the sale price before you approve your debit card and then get your receipt. I'm pretty sure if I didn't get my receipt, I don't know if I'd been able to get my money back," says Chavers.

Chavers says that he plans on using the check for personal use.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A Waco man is fighting to get his money back after a local gas station overcharged him $1,299.36 for an energy drink and a chicken biscuit.

"I was kind of hungry before I went out on my route, and stopped by to buy a monster energy drink and a chicken biscuit and got charged $1,299.36. I don't understand why it took them less than 10 seconds to take it out of my account, and we're at day 8 and I can't get it back in my account yet," says Chuck Chavers.

Chavers says the CEFCO manager, at the store located along HWY 6 in Woodway, claimed their store was having a system glitch which caused the charge, and didn't allow the store to refund Chavers his money.

Chavers says he paid with a debit card and the store manager put him through to corporate.

They told him to dispute the charge with his bank at First Central Credit Union, and he's now waiting for the dispute to be processed.

25 News Reporter Joel Lopez asked the Better Business Bureau "In this man's case he paid this transaction with his debit card, is that gonna make getting his money back more difficult?"

"It does there's convenience built in to using debit cards, which is great, but you sacrifice comfort in the event something like this happens you do have to go through more hoops to jump," says Jason Meza with the BBB.

Meza says it's easier to dispute a claim with your bank if it's on a credit card, as there are more protections built in and factors in a third party.

But attorneys like Cody Cleveland say Chavers could take legal action, as the responsibility falls on the CEFCO.

"The store needs to give the money back. There's no question that the money wasn't earned. So if it's unlawfully appropriated, in Texas that's the legal definition of theft. They entered into a contract where he agreed to pay a certain amount of money for a drink and a snack and the other party overcharged him, there's no question he's on the winning side," says Cleveland.

Chavers says he is considering legal action, as he needs the 13-hundred dollars to pay off upcoming bills.

"It took 10 seconds to come out of my account, its taken 8 days so far and I was the one that was gonna have to go fix the issue by going to my bank. That's what i'm upset about. I shouldn't have had to leave that store without my money." says Chavers.

CEFCO coroporate has not answered 25 News' inquiries about this case.

Representatives with First Central Credit Union were unable to comment.